Would you like to have ABS and Airbags

This is a discussion on Would you like to have ABS and Airbags within The Indian Car Scene, part of the BHP India category; my vote goes to airbags for sure mainly because it might safe lives in a collision where there is no ...

my vote goes to airbags for sure mainly because it might safe lives in a collision where there is no fault of yours.
ABS is definitely good to have but as someone said, it is a scary situation when it cuts in and you feel out of control. I experienced ABS only once in my life when I tried to take a turn very fast without realizing how sharp the turn is and had to brake really hard to stop the vehicle from going out of the road. I hope I do not experience it again.

My vote goes to ABS. If you wear seatbelts, the value of airbags would reduce. However ABS is a must for the car to safely navigate the turns, overtaking maneuvers etc. because it adds to the stability of the running vehicle.

Injury due to Airbags-could you elaborate on this, if you dont mind?!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mTorque

Sure. Abrasion of the skin, sore eye and other minor facial injuries are quite common for Airbag injuries. I had a sore eye (which I couldn't open for a month) and one side of my face with minor scars in the accident in which I happend to be a copassenger in the front seat. Just google for airbag injuries and you would be quite amazed by how bad they can be. However, they still save lifes, in comparision that is a good tradeoff!

Even hitting something soft is going to hurt if you are moving fast enough.

Like at sea on a yacht: it is a mighty good idea to wear a harness and safety line that keeps you attached to the boat if you go overboard. Of course, you might get a few bruises or worse as you bounce around in the water next to the boat, but that would be a heap less bad than drowning.

It all makes me hope they never invent a "safety device" that guarantees coming out of an accident unscathed!

My point of contention is not what you or me prefer, but why the hell does the manufacturer choose for us
I prefer Tata's approach -Aura ABS, for people who want just ABS & Aura+, for ABS + AIRBAGS combo.

I agree with you! I guess the manufacturers are looking for exclusivity over the real safety concerns. Nissan is providing airbag over ABS as Swift VDi already comes with ABS. That way they can sell Micra by "brain washing" the uninformed customer that airbag is important than ABS?

I would go for ABS over airbag if I am pushed to buy on of these two cars!

my vote goes to airbags for sure mainly because it might safe lives in a collision where there is no fault of yours.
ABS is definitely good to have but as someone said, it is a scary situation when it cuts in and you feel out of control. I experienced ABS only once in my life when I tried to take a turn very fast without realizing how sharp the turn is and had to brake really hard to stop the vehicle from going out of the road. I hope I do not experience it again.

If you wouldn't have had ABS you definitely would have gone off the road. I too hope that you don't experience it again.

I prefer ABS+EBD and Airbags if available. Dont expect Airbags to save your lives if you meet with an accident.The airbags dont deploy in all collission scenarios. Check the manual of each car to see that. I have been involved in a car accident with Airbag equipped and it didn't deploy. Answer from manufacturer, the collision did not happen where the sensors were located. So if you can't afford both get atleast ABS+EBD.

Can you please include a poll to find out how many prefer ABS or Air bags or both in their cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilguy

@OP or @Mods How about putting a poll on this thread to see whether people prefer ABS or Airbags. Would prefer the poll to not have BOTH as an option since that is the obvious winner already!

+1 to that. Mods, can we have it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by S5157

I prefer ABS+EBD and Airbags if available. Dont expect Airbags to save your lives if you meet with an accident.The airbags dont deploy in all collission scenarios. Check the manual of each car to see that. I have been involved in a car accident with Airbag equipped and it didn't deploy. Answer from manufacturer, the collision did not happen where the sensors were located. So if you can't afford both get atleast ABS+EBD.

Details, if you dont mind. Now what kind of a lame excuse is that!!!! Do the manufacturers think that the next time we get involved in an accident we should direct the collision couse in such a way that the airbag sensors get hit.

ABS and EBD helps in avoiding the accident in first place (assuming that there is possibility), should be first choice for me!

First option ABS or (ABS+ EBD if available), second ABS + EBD with Air Bags.

Most 'C' segment cars come with 1 or two Air bags (except i20 i guess, which has option of 6 Air bags), which deploy only when front collision is detected. Hence their usage is restricted. However having Airbag is better than having none.

I keep a steady 100 Kmph on highway & all of a sudden a cattle appears pops in the front; I apply brakes, ABS kicks in, vehicle doesn't skid, I'm safe, cattle is safe, car is safe.

But here's what actually happens; there's a moron who dances behind me to overtake & meanwhile the above has happened; finally he rams behind my vehicle at a greater speed.

The cattle walks away as if nothing happened; I leave the rest of the situation for you to analyze.

In the above situation is the ABS or Airbags protecting me from the dancing moron or the cattle? Who is more important to remain safe?

I was involved in one such situation an indica appeared from no where into our way and a santro ahead of me screeched to a halt, I stopped just in time, so did a Swift with ABS behind me. However, a top end i20 banged into the swift and swift banged into our car. In the mean while an OHC banged at a very high speed into the i20. None of the air bags (neither my car Figo's nor the i20's were deployed).

Air bags dont deploy in your hypothetical situation, mostly they do only in heay frontal impacts.

Quote:

Details, if you dont mind. Now what kind of a lame excuse is that!!!! Do the manufacturers think that the next time we get involved in an accident we should direct the collision couse in such a way that the airbag sensors get hit.

It is not lame, it is the truth. Airbags are not designed to be deployed for every crash, if they do, the loser is the customer. Because a deployed airbag costs you a bomb to reset.

So generally they are programed to be deployed in such cases where it is actually necessary and worth it!

If you wouldn't have had ABS you definitely would have gone off the road. I too hope that you don't experience it again.

This is my experience my friend!
Whether I would have gone out of the road is different matter and purely hypothetical. I had similar situation in my Santro a few times and I did not go out of the road . It depends on your driving skills and experience (so that the wheels don't lock while braking). ABS is not the only way to avoid going out of the road.
ABS is very essential no doubt but I feel the effectiveness of the same is over exaggerated here (as it does not kick in in most situations). From my experience, whatever accidents I have seen ABS would not have helped in most as those were caused by people not following traffic discipline. But airbags might act as life savers in those situations. Again,personal opinion